Category Archives: Event

So, so lazy…

I am a lazy blogger, I am a lazy blogger…however, two new things coming up.

1. Mitosis – a manufacturing company based in the South Side of Pittsburgh, with its first offering, the Equus Evolution Kit, a multi-modal learning tool the helps high school teachers demonstrate the principles of evolution through 50 million years of changes to the horse foot. The kit is amazing, developed by Jason Bannister of Mechanimal, with assistance from Duquesne University…we’ve been selling them already, and I’ll have some pictures up very soon, as well as some info for interested science and biology teachers…very, very cool…

2. A puppet version of Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl…not for sale, simply to create video content that will teach good citizens everyone how civic politics works…you should see the forehead…

 

Thanks for the patience, love y’all….

P.S. Congrats again, Tim and Andi!!!!!

Infinite Summer

For all of y’all literary types who fancy big, sprawling books…it doesn’t get much bigger, or more sprawling than this within contemporary letters (well, maybe this, but…): Join in and read one of the great texts from the late David Foster Wallace, Infinite Jest. With groups on the Twitter and the Facebook helping with motivation there is no better time than the present.

People say stuff like this out of the side of their mouth all the time, but this book changed my life, introduced me to a different way of viewing the world, tied me to other people in a way no other book has done. Yes, there are over a thousand pages here, but contrary to what many critics have said, there is not a word out of place, nothing superfluous here, I promise. Thanks, Dave, we miss you.

Infinite Summer

(pic from wikipedia)

Southside 412

Okay, so I’m really late on this one (Sorry Vin and Jay) but here’s the first episode of Southside 412 featuring all kinds of Southside Madness during the Ides of March March…Keep an eye out for Slacker Joe and Phat Man Dee – two more of my favorite people from the South Side of town.

Lost a Bet by Tim S.

Once again, I get to be lazy and let my good friend Tim S. entertain y’all with some writing. This little piece on the Steelers benefits me in two ways. One, because, as I mentioned, I get to continue my non-posting laziness. And, Two (and, this affects you, my readers), I get to look smart through association as Tim is a much better writer than I am, and this piece is great. As mentioned before, Tim S. can be read over at Joint Contrast – peep that shit.

I made a bet. Not a bet involving money or humiliating acts of any sort. But a bet that I felt if I won the reward would outweigh the punishment if I lost. That bet was on the Super Bowl. If the Cardinals pulled off an upset my buddy Joe from the Steel City had to write an article praising the mighty Cleveland Browns. Knowing that the feat of praising the Browns was indeed a hefty one I gave up the points and took it straight up winner takes all. I fucking lost. I with all my atheistic cynicism bet on the forever born again Christian grocery bag boy (I say forever because the same story that they told about Kurt Warner this last week and during the game is the same retarded ass lifetime movie of the week story they told ten fucking years ago when he went to his first Super Bowl. Seriously Kurt, can I at least get some Tebow like missionary work to hear about and not just the redundancy of your pre-football life coupled with the fact that your 115 pound wife popped seven fucking kids out of her vagina-tie a fucking tube) to help brighten the dreary days only the dog pound faithful truly feel. So in essence this game was about the Steelers and the Browns. And guess who lost. My punishment is indeed to give Big Ben, the Steelers organization as well as the city of Pittsburgh a giddy sixteen year-old orgasm in the form of a written hand job.

But first let me say just a few things about the state of Ohio.
James Harrison(LB) College- Kent State(OH)-Hometown Akron(OH),
Santonio Holmes(WR)-Super Bowl MVP-College Ohio State,
Ben Roethlisberger(QB) College-Miami (Ohio)-Hometown Findlay(OH)
You can thank us later.

Let me start not with what could be argued as the greatest Super Bowl ever but with a few of my favorite things about the Steelers. Number one is the Rooney Rule ( Named after Pitt Owner Dan Rooney) which essentially forces old white billionaires who own football franchises to interview minorities when searching for coaches. In no way does it force them to hire minority coaches but it assumes that if you diversify your search criteria it expands the talent pool when other vacancies become available around the league giving qualified candidates an opportunity they might not have received otherwise. You want to know what happens when you don’t force old white billionaires to do this, just take a look at college football. Number two is Mike Tomlin’s haircut. Either he has mastered the art of the airbrushed edge-up or his barber wields a magical set of clippers with divine attachments. I mean Kurt Warner couldn’t get Jesus himself to hook him up with a cut that brilliant. It literally looks like he gets a touch up after every near heart attack inducing Roethlisberger scramble. With Barack Obama as our president and Mike Tomlin as coach of the reigning Super Bowl champs you can kiss the cornrows goodbye. Don‘t be surprised to see Allen Iverson show up to the All-Star game with a fresh fade. Number three is the fact that at every position on the field the player wearing black and gold is more than likely tougher than his opponent. The prime example is Hines Ward. That motherfucker is vicious. And he smiles the entire time. Think back to a time in your life when you were dominant in a certain moment, so dominant that it was funny. You crossed someone over on the court or you struck someone out or you pulled someone’s card Will Hunting style(How do ya like them apples?). That is how Hines Ward is every time he catches a ball or catches a DB out of position and cracks him. That’s even how Hines is when he gets cracked. I’ll trade Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards for Hines right now. And if you don’t want them then I’ll just release them because there both pussies. Finally before I talk just a little about the game I would like to thank the Pittsburgh Steelers for beating the Baltimore Ravens three times this year. A Browns fan does not want to see a winning Steelers team unless it means a losing Raven team.

Art Model can eat a dick.

So was it the 100 yard interception return by James Harrison before the first half came to a close (try to remember a better play both in significance and physical brilliance) or the Santonio Holmes tip toe catch to win the game that followed the Santonio Holmes missed game winning catch moments before? Was it Big Ben, all 6’5’’ 240 lbs of him, bouncing in and out and around the pocket creating fourth quarter magic once again this year or the fact that when it really counted the defense stopped Kurt Warner? Yes he threw for almost 400 yards and finally found Fitzgerald in the fourth quarter, but when they had to get him the Steelers did as the Steelers do and stopped the opposing quarterback from winning the game. Even though this time they needed their own quarterback to help them out. What was the defining moment? The defining moment was way back in 1999.
Not only does this game not happen but the history of the NFL post 1999 changes dramatically. That moment was when the Cleveland Browns selected Tim Couch to lead them back into football prominence leaving Donovan Mcnabb on the board for Philly to scoop up. The AFC North would’ve been a different landscape to maneuver through over the last decade had the right decision been made and the Rooney family might still be stuck on 4 Lombardi Trophies. But instead we selected a guy who no longer plays pro football, a man who lost his job to Kelly Holcomb. Once again you can thank us later.

But that misstep only further solidifies the dominance and class that the Steelers organization has established. They make the right decisions when it comes to players and personnel. They make the right decisions when it comes to the way they handle the media. And they make the right decisions when it comes to the way they treat their fans. Browns fans and countless other fan base both envy and respect such stability. And of course when you have envy and respect you also have extreme hatred. So to my dear friend Joe and all the terrible towel wielding Steelers fans I say congratulations, fuck you very much, enjoy the rest of the NBA season and how about them Pirates.

Murakami in Frankfurt

Takashi Murakami‘s work reaches from faux LV purses (nah, just kidding, I’m sure you paid retail…), to Kanye’s album cover, to colorful nightmares everywhere. Anyways, Mr. Murakami’s show can currently be see at the Museum Fur Moderne Kunst, in Frankfurt, for all you globetrotters out there.

(Thanks, Kanye)

A.R.C. Sports Store

Not slowing doing at all, Alife has opened another ridiculously good looking store, the A.R.C. Sports Store, in the Lower East Side of NYC. So…if you happen to be there you should swing by.

On another note, and with visual documentation after the store pics below, Alife has teamed up with New Balance to release some nice ass 1300’s.

(Slam X Hype)

Jeff Soto

A lot of work went into the inaugural exhibition of Pop artist Jeff Soto, so if you happen to be in the Riverside, CA area it would be in your best interest to attend. The exhibit, entitled Turning in Circles, is open through February 21st, 2009 at the Riverside Art Museum. Go on, just go, then you can impress people with your knowledge of contemporary American Art…not that anyone will care, but…

(Word, Hypebeast, word)

Alife in Hollywood

For all of yall Alife tag poppers out there in Hollywood, cruise by Space 15 Twenty on Cahuenga Boulevard and check out the new digs. Lovely as usual.

24 Hour Store

This is a sweet concept, Paper Magazine invited a number of retailers to sell products in a store set-up for 24 hours. You know I love the use of scarcity to get those evolutionary triggers clicked. Brands involved include Supreme, Undefeated, Jeremy Scott, etc.

(High Snobiety)

Japan Society Bamboo

If you happen to be in NYC from now until January 11th, are interested in Japanese Art, and like Bamboo, well then just stop by the Japan Society‘s New Bamboo: Contemporary Japanese Masters exhibit. Bamboo is extraordinary in its versatility, beauty and sustainability – we should use more of it. Anyways, it makes for great art, too, and the pieces below (Harmony II & III, by Morigami Jin) reminded of the Henry Moore on the campus at Purchase where I went to school. I liked that sculpture a lot…until I found out there was another one up in Canada somewhere. Then I just felt betrayed and lost.

(Thanks, Inhabitat)